Archive for the 'Brendan Mikkelson' Tag Under 'Ducks' Category

The Ducks officially cut bait with Brendan Mikkelson as the defenseman has a new NHL team to call home Tuesday with the Calgary Flames claiming him off waivers.

Reports are that the Flames could be giving Mikkelson an audition to see if he fits into their lineup as they assigned defenseman T.J. Brodie to the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League. Mikkelson is expected to join the team in Detroit and could play in the Flames' game Thursday against the Red Wings.

Meanwhile, the Ducks decided to end things with their former 2005 second-round pick. Mikkelson, 23, had one assist in five games this season with the Ducks but he was scratched in favor of newly-acquired veteran Andreas Lilja for Sunday's game against Phoenix and never seemed to catch on fully in his two-plus seasons with the club.

"I just think he's a young player that's still developing," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said Tuesday before boarding on the team's charter for Columbus. "To play defense in the National Hockey League, it's not an easy position to play. We felt that at this point people have played to a higher level than he has.

Mikkelson, 23, was scratched for Sunday's 3-2 win over Phoenix and has had trouble keeping a regular spot on the Ducks' blue line. The former 2005 second-round pick made a nice play on a tic-tac-toe goal by Corey Perry in the home opener against Vancouver but has also committed a number of mistakes in his end thus far.

If he clears waivers by 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday, Mikkelson can be sent down to the club's AHL affiliate in Syracuse. [UPDATE: Ducks have confirmed the move but no decision yet on what they will do if he does clear.]

Mikkelson had the one assist in five games with the Ducks and has appeared in 67 games over two-plus seasons, recording no goals and five assists over that time.

ANAHEIM -- Just when it seemed as if the Ducks were really about to turn over a new leaf ...

Bad penalties and the inability to kill them off at a critical juncture of games came back to haunt the Ducks when they seemed to be on the way to a second consecutive home victory Friday night. Atlanta took advantage of third-period penalties by Brendan Mikkelson and Corey Perry to score twice in the final 10 minutes to force overtime.

The Ducks' big guns failed to deliver in the shootout and Nigel Dawes' successful try closed out a 5-4 win by the Thrashers at Honda Center. But it is the inability to finish that will eat at them, at least until practice on Saturday.

Perry's slashing penalty in the offensive zone at 13:48 of the third that was eventually cashed in on Anthony Stewart's third goal was particularly galling and Ducks coach Randy Carlyle pointed it out afterward.

ANAHEIM - The outlook for the Ducks this season was set in stone the second Scotty Niedermayer retired in June:

Great forward group and goaltending but the thin defense will keep them from making the playoffs.

Most, if not all prognosticators justifiably point to the Ducks' defensive group as a major concern after the team failed to land a big-name free agent in the offseason. The organization signed veterans Toni Lydman, Andy Sutton and Paul Mara to combine with a younger core, and all are using the criticism as a source of motivation.

“We're just going to go out there and prove the naysayers wrong,” Mara said. “You're losing a guy that's a true leader in Scotty, so I think we're definitely going to have to step up our play and pick up every aspect of the game that he left behind … it's a motivational factor that the defense can use.”

That would mean that first round draft pick Cam Fowler would make the team out of training camp, a big statement for Fowler and the organization.

Coach Randy Carlyle all but conceded that Fowler, 18, will be with the squad for possibly the first nine games of the regular season before the organization decides whether to send him back to his junior team.

If he plays a 10th game, the first year of his entry-level contract would be triggered.

The Ducks might have question marks surrounding some positions entering the 2010-11 season, but they also have a group of young players who might have the answer.

Training camp and the rookie tournament offers an opportunity for players to make an impression and it can be a springboard to a breakout season, either in the NHL or minor leagues.

Defenseman Brendan Mikkelson took a cue last year when he made the club shortly after camp and rode out a stay with the big club. Dan Sexton, Troy Bodie, Matt Beleskey and Nick Bonino also made their mark at some point last season.

Finding a spot on the Ducks' blue line is something Brendan Mikkelson has been able to do for the last two seasons. Keeping that spot has become the greatest challenge.

Mikkelson is still just 23 and seemingly in the club's plans as he was when he was drafted early in the second round back in 2005. But the Saskatchewan native is not only trying to work his way into club's defense corps but also fend off the prospects that look to pass him up in the eyes of the organization.

Barring the pickup of another veteran, the Ducks figure to go to camp with a defense that should have spots in place for Lubomir Visnovsky, Toni Lydman, Andy Sutton and Sheldon Brookbank. It means that at least two, if not three, openings are available for what the club will ultimately take to Detroit for opening night on Oct. 8.

Danny Syvret was signed and will be in the mix. Luca Sbisa looked good at the Olympics and will be given a strong shot to win a job. Cam Fowler was snatched up by the giddy Ducks at the draft and could play his way on to the team at age 18 with a dynamite camp.

And there is Brett Festerling, whom Mikkelson has seemingly jockeyed for NHL duty with for those two seasons. It is another reason why a dramatically reconstituted defense without the retired Scott Niedermayer will be one of the leading storylines in camp.

The Ducks and Brendan Mikkelson have agreed on a one-year deal Thursday after the young defenseman accepted the club's qualifying offer on the final day before it would have expired.

Mikkelson, 23, will make $687,500, or 10 percent above the $625,000 NHL salary he was signed for last season. It is a two-way contract so his American Hockey League salary will be pro-rated to $62,500 but he would still have to pass through waivers if he were sent down.

A restricted free agent after his entry-level deal expired, Mikkelson split time in both leagues last season as he played in 28 games with the Ducks, where he had two assists, and 49 with the AHL's Toronto Marlies. Mikkelson had seven goals and 15 assists with the Marlies.

Mikkelson figures to be a strong contender for one of the openings on the Ducks' blue line, particularly if the club is unable to add another veteran presence.